Getting the Right Filter for Your Furnace

Categories: Indoor Air Quality, New Heating & Cooling Systems

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Ever breeze through the air filter aisle of your local home improvement store, only to be flummoxed by the sheer variety of filtration media available? Choosing the right filter for your furnace is crucial for maintaining its performance and your home’s indoor air quality. Below are some of the most common furnace filters you’ll see on local shelves, along with a few performance statistics:

Fiberglass – Thick-spun fiberglass filters are perhaps the most commonly-seen type of filter available. With an average MERV rating of 1 to 4, these filters are effective only at keeping large amounts of dust, dirt, large fibers and other obvious debris out of your furnace.

Pleated – Rated at MERV 5 to as high as 16, these filters offer better filtration performance and, due to their pleated shape, more surface area for capturing airborne particles. Unfortunately, these filters are slightly more expensive to replace and need constant replacement to prevent clogging and degraded furnace performance.

Electrostatic – Available in both disposable and washable forms, electrostatic air filters rely on a built-in static charge to capture a variety of airborne pollutants, including mold spores, pollen and pet dander. Most electrostatic filters cost more than their pleated counterparts, however.

HEPA – High efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are capable of removing up to 99.97 percent of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns. However, these filters are more expensive and often require a custom enclosure and a blower fan capable of overcoming the filter’s added airflow resistance. If you have severe respiratory problems, this could be the right filter for your furnace.